


Ilvermorny College

by J1537



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 21:31:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11998350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J1537/pseuds/J1537
Summary: Harry Potter AU where there are witchcraft and wizardry colleges. Alec, Izzy and Jace go to America to attend their first year at Ilvermorny College. Magnus is the senior representative of the house Alec is sorted into. Fluff and magical times ensue.





	Ilvermorny College

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the American version of Hogwarts that's mentioned in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them but I decided it would be better as a college :D
> 
> For reference the houses are:
> 
> Horned Serpent - Magnus, Alec, Simon, Lydia  
> Wampus – Izzy, Maia  
> Thunderbird – Jace, Clary.  
> Pukwudgie – Catarina, Ragnor

The aggressive sharp turns and frequent curses from their cab driver were a far cry from the smooth comfort of the Hogwarts express. Alec ignores the rather grumpy man and instead glues his eyes to the passenger window; taking in the green foliage and plain looking buildings that they were passing. This was Alec’s first time traveling outside of Europe, so he was drinking the view in, noticing all the differences between the Massachusetts landscape and his London home. 

Alec had been waiting for months for this day, but he’d also been quite apprehensive about it. Today they would be moving in to Ilvermorny College of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Alec had no idea what he was in for. The nerves he was experiencing were oddly reminiscent of the nerves he felt when he was 11 and first starting school; even if he was now 19 and should be more equipped to handle first day jitters. At least he didn’t have to go it alone, a fact that Alec was extremely grateful for; He was joined by his twin sister Isabelle and best friend Jace. 

The three had been inseparable since Alec and Izzy had met Jace on their first day at Hogwarts and they’d all been sorted into Gryffindor. Alec had resisted the friendship at first but Jace was nothing if not persistent. By the second week of school Jace was well on his way to becoming family to the Lightwood twins and he was now considered to be nothing less than a brother to both Jace and Izzy. 

As inseparable as they all were, it was no surprise that when Alec decided that he wanted to see more of the world and apply for college in America, Jace and Izzy followed suit; Jace and Izzy were never one to turn down an adventure. Thankfully they had all gotten in, which was why they were all currently packed into a taxi cab on the way to Mount Greylock, where the school was located. They had decided to fly to Massachusetts rather than use a portkey purely because Jace had wanted to see what a plane was like. It had been a rather beautiful experience, Alec thought, seeing the stunning views of England and the clouds floating in the air. The fascination had soon turned into regret though, when a baby seated in front of them wouldn’t stop crying and Jace had fallen asleep on Alec’s shoulder, drooling heavily.

Alec was extremely happy to be back on the ground. He was also happy to bid the cab driver goodbye, who grabbed at the cash that was extended to him and sent the tyres of his cab screeching as he drove away hastily. Alec wondered if all Americans were this rude. He really hoped not, as they would make up the majority of his classmates and professors for the next 4 years. 

The group haul their trunks and head up the path to the mountains, following the direction to the portkey that they had been given by the school administration. The portkey was going to be an empty bottle of sunscreen which was one of the less odd portkeys that he’d used in the past. After around a 20-minute walk, they find the tree that they were instructed the portkey would be under and locate it immediately. Alec is almost as relieved as Isabelle who whoops for joy when they find it; lugging around huge trunks was not a pleasant experience, even if they had put weightless charms on them. 

“Are you ready?” Alec asks Izzy and Jace, earning a grin and a nod from them. 

They all step forward as Alec counts down. 

“Three, two, one go!” he says, reaching down to touch the bottle as Izzy and Jace do the same. Alec takes a deep breath as he feels the familiar unpleasant feeling of portkey travel that only lasts a few moments. 

When they arrive at their destination, Alec and his companions glide easily to a stop on a paved road. They all pause for a moment to take in their surroundings silently. Alec sees that they are outside ornate brass gates that extend into a fence that go for as far as the eye can see on both Alec’s left and right. The gates open up to a wide pathway that leads to a granite stone castle that is just as grand as Hogwarts and maybe even a little larger. The school and the grounds are covered in a layer of fog, giving it an eerie but beautiful quality. 

There is a man in a suit waiting at the front gates, presumably to let the students in. The three walk towards him. 

“Alexander and Isabelle Lightwood and Jace Herondale?” he asks, checking them against a list. They all nod their agreement. 

“Welcome to ilvermorny. My name is Aldertree. I am the Arithmancy professor and have been given the unfortunate job of check-ins today. If you just head straight up that path to the main entrance you can just wait with the other first years for the sorting to begin. Leave your trunks here, they will be delivered to your rooms after sorting” he says in a dry tone while he takes out his wand to open the gate. 

Alec and the others thank Aldertree as the gate swings open with a grating sound and they head up the path. Alec takes in the grounds. It differs from Hogwarts in that the castle and grounds are on a flat plane and Alec can see green grass extending several acres into the distance, dotted with large trees and flower beds. Although the mist extends over the castle and surrounds the trees, the air is warm and Alec can hear birds singing. He even sees two cats curled up in the sun under a tree. Alec breathes a sigh of relief; he had been so sure that Ilvermorny wouldn’t live up to his expectations and he would spend the four years here reminiscing on his days at Hogwarts. He was already beginning to think that those fears were unfounded as he made his way up the long pathway. 

“Wow this place is beautiful! Can’t wait to sun bathe on this lawn” Izzy says, earning a snort from Alec and Jace. 

“Loving your priorities Iz” Jace says. “I’m just keen to see the quidditch pitch, it looked amazing on the brochure. It must be behind the castle” Jace adds, trying to crane his neck around as if the pitch will suddenly appear. 

Jace and Alec had both been on the Gryffindor quidditch team in school, with Jace as their captain. While Alec and Jace were both going to be studying magical law enforcement, Jace’s real goal was to rise up the ranks in the Ilvermorny quidditch team and become a professional athlete. Izzy wanted to work for either the ministry of magic or the magical 

congress of the United States of America and was going to be studying magical politics. Alec wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up as the minister for magic, that girl could do just about anything she set her mind to. 

As they are ascending the wide granite staircase, Alec sees two statues that flank the gigantic arched doorway that leads inside. The nerves that had been brushed aside while he was taking everything in start to bubble back up in Alec’s stomach. 

“I wonder if we will be sorted into the same house again?” Jace says, voicing one of Alec’s concerns. 

“I hope so. But I guess we have to separate at some point” Isabelle says with a carefree laugh. Sometimes Alec envied the way in which she approached new situations. Although Alec was brave – he had been in Gryffindor after all – he still approached each situation with a measured carefulness, which became tedious at times. 

Alec is pulled from his thoughts when they enter through the arch and Alec comes face to face with the building in which he will become intimately acquainted with over the next four years. There is a gathering of about fifty or so other students in the hall already. They step onto the marble tiled floors and join the other students. Alec’s tall stature comes in handy as he easily looks over the other students’ heads to take in the room. In the center of the floor is what looks like a tiled crest. On closer inspection, Alec realizes it is a Gordian knot with the house symbols in each corner. Facing each house symbol is a statue of the house mascot. When Alec looks up he sees two rounded staircases that lead up to a landing that is rounded and extends out from the top of the staircase and back towards the front of the castle. The balcony is filled with hundreds of students, and it feels as though Alec can feel the eyes of every single one of them even though most of them are too distracted chatting to one another to pay the first years any attention. Evidently they were all gathered to watch the sorting, Alec deduces. 

“Well this has got to be ten times worse than the sorting hat. Them all looking down on us. It’s creepy” Jace says. Alec had to agree. The set up was rather intimidating. Alec looks up once again and does a sweeping look at the second, third and fourth years. His surveillance is cut short, though, when his eyes catch the eyes of another boy who is leaning against the marble railing near the staircase on the right. Alec stares at the man. He has dark spiked black hair, beautiful almond shaped eyes lined with kohl and a tightly fitting black shirt. Alec is immediately grateful for the lack of a uniform policy at Ilvermorny. 

The man winks at him and Alec immediately blushes, looking down at his boots. For a former Gryffindor, it was amazing how quickly Alec lost all his nerve when in the presence of beautiful men. 

Alec is distracted from his embarrassment when he is jostled as someone bumps into him. He turns to glare are the newcomer and is greeted with the sheepish smile of a nerdy looking boy with glasses. 

“Sorry man, didn’t mean to do that. But in my defence, Clary pushed me. Apparently I was being too slow” he says, aiming a mock glare at his red headed friend. 

“No worries” Alec says in a clipped tone; warming up to strangers had never been his strong suit. The boy and his friend seem unperturbed, however, as they look up at Alec with matching grins. 

“Oh you’re English that’s awesome. I’m Simon by the way, and this is Clary” he says, holding out a hand which Alec reluctantly takes. 

“I’m Alec. This is my sister Isabelle and best friend Jace” Alec says, gesturing to the pair. Alec doesn’t fail to notice that Simon stares at Izzy a touch longer that is probably socially acceptable, causing a knowing laugh to escape her lips. 

“Hey cutie, nice glasses” she says. Simon immediately goes a few shades darker and Alec prays that he doesn’t look like that when he blushes. 

Jace straight up ignores Simon and goes straight over to Clary, holding his hand out for her to shake. She appraises his outstretched hand with slightly narrowed eyes before shaking his hand. Alec is impressed. Normally girls fall at Jace’s feet. 

Alec glances around the room and notices that their group has almost doubled with the arrival of other first years. The nervousness and excitement in the air is almost like an aura that Alec can feel. Yep, this definitely brought him back to his first year at Hogwarts. 

He’s relieved when he hears a booming, “welcome welcome” coming from a platform in front of the Gordian knot in between the two staircases. 

Immediately the chatter coming from both the ground floor and the overlooking balcony ceases. The magically enhanced voice is coming from a tall man with brown skin and a welcoming smile that seems contagious; Alec looks up at the upperclassmen on the balcony to see them smiling down at the man. The man looks to be about 45 and is well dressed in a suit. 

“Welcome first years, we are very excited to have you here. My name is professor Luke Garroway and I am the headmaster here at lvermorny. Each year we are blessed to have talented students grace the halls of Ilvermorny and I don’t doubt that this years’ recruits will live up to the high standards of this college. I won’t bore you with a long-winded speech outlining the merits of this school; if you are here, you already know them. Just a few administrative notes: when you are sorted into your respective houses please go to the designated area to meet with your house senior representative who will show you to your rooms. If you are sorted into the Horned Serpent house proceed up the right staircase to the right side of the landing, if you are sorted into the Pukwudgie house, proceed up the left staircase to the left side of the landing. If you are sorted into Thunderbird, then go to the middle of the landing on the right and if you are sorted into Wampus then proceed to the middle of the landing on the left. Dinner is always at six in the dining hall, breakfast is always at eight and lunch is always at one. Okay, not that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s get to the fun part!” he says, rubbing his hands together with a wide smile on his face. 

Professor Garroway was about as far from Headmistress McGonagall as one could possibly get. Although McGonagall had grown on Alec and had become one of his favorite staff members, she was hardly a ray of sunshine. Headmaster Garroway seemed to be someone that not only commanded respect, but was the type of person that lit up a room. 

“So, for those of you that don’t know of the Ilvermorny houses, I’ll give you a quick summary. The houses are named after four different magical creatures. The Horned Serpent House is sometimes deemed to represent the mind of the witch or wizard and often favors scholars. Pukwudgie house is sometimes deemed to value the heart of the witch or wizard and looks highly upon healers. Thunderbird is said to represent the soul of the witch or wizard and often favors adventurers. Last but certainly not least, Wampus represents the body of a witch or wizard and favors warriors. The people from your houses will be the people you will live with for the next four years and the people who will be your teammates in both academic and sporting competitions. A little school rivalry never hurt anyone” Luke finishes with a glint in his eye, earning a chuckle from the students. 

Glancing at a piece of paper in his hand, the headmaster addresses the group once again, “okay, when I call your name please come and stand in the center of the Gordian knot” he says, gesturing to the tiled section of floor that pictured all four house crests.

“When a house would like a student to join their ranks the respective house statue will react to that student. If the Horned Serpent house wants you, the crystal in the statue’s forehead will glow, if Pukwudgie wants you, the statue will raise its arrow, if Thunderbird wants you the statue will beat its wings and finally if Wampus wants you the statue will roar” Headmaster Garroway finishes. 

Alec loved the idea of the house statues choosing students into their respective houses. It Felt more welcoming than the snide voice of the sorting hat choosing the fate of his 11-year old self. 

Alec had been mortified when he had been sorted into Gryffindor; his family had been Slytherin for generations. But then Izzy had also been sorted into Gryffindor and his anxieties all but vanished. Their parents had been disappointed at first, but they warmed up to the idea eventually. Alec had just been glad that he didn’t have to face their wrath alone. 

The sorting begins when the Headmaster calls out the first name from the list: Lucy Acker. A girl near the front with long auburn French braids steps forward and into the centre of the Gordian knot. Luke looks at her with an encouraging smile and she smiles back confidently. 

At first nothing happens, and the girl glances around nervously at the statues. About 30 seconds later though, a deafening roar is heard from the statue of the Wampus, echoing throughout the room and startling Alec. The girl smiles triumphantly and heads in the direction of the left staircase, to cheers from the upper landing. 

The next 5 sorting’s go much the same. When it gets to the 7th girl, Lydia Branwell, she has barely stepped onto the knot before the crystal on the horned serpent glows bright blue. 

Before long it is the read head, Clary’s turn. She doesn’t seem to have an ounce of nerves as she practically skips up to be sorted. The statues deliberate for about 10 seconds before the Thunderbird stretches out its large wings and beats them ferociously enough that Alec is surprised the statue doesn’t take off. 

After a couple more students, it’s Jace’s turn and Alec feels slightly nervous for him even though he knows he doesn’t need to be. Jace struts confidently up to the crests with what can only be describes as swagger. Alec hopes that the other students don’t immediately hate him for his blatant display of cockiness. Jace was a lot to handle sometimes. 

It takes about 3 seconds for the statue to make a decision and once again the Thunderbirds wings start to beat with earnest. Alec is not surprised at all; Jace was always looking for adventure and trouble, sometimes getting himself (and Alec and Izzy) into trouble in his wake. Jace turns around and shoots Alec and Izzy a wink as he heads for his designated area. 

Next it’s Simon’s turn. He doesn’t look nearly as sure of himself as Clary or Jace did, but he still juts his chin up and marches towards the statues with a sort of forced bravery. This one takes a bit longer; it’s about 40 seconds before the Horned Serpents’ crystal glows blue. 

After one more student, it’s Alec’s turn. He strides up to the statues with a lot more confidence than he’d had when he was 11; he knows the sorting process will find the right place for him. It’s only about 5 seconds before the crystal glows. Aside from being in the same house as the over-exuberant Simon, Alec is happy with the choice, heading up the right staircase. He stops about half way up and leans over the staircase when Izzy’s name is called. 

Alec can’t even hazard a guess as to what house she could be in. She was smart, brave, strong, adventurous and caring. She could really belong in any of the houses. 

The statues seem to agree and take longer than they had with any other student. Even Izzy looks a little bit nervous when a minute passes. Before Alec can wonder if something is wrong, the Wampus roars loudly. Izzy lets out a relieved sigh and heads up the stairs. Izzy the warrior. Alec grins at the thought - it definitely fit her - and heads the rest of the way up the stairs. He supposes that the three of them did have to separate eventually. They had practically been joined at the hip for the past seven years. 

Once the sorting is finished, the headmasters voice echoes up to the landing telling everyone except for first years and the senior representatives to go back to their rooms. Chatter starts back up again immediately and the upperclassmen head down the halls and up more stairs to the third floor. 

As the hordes of students clear, Alec sees Simon standing next to the blonde girl called Lydia and he goes over to stand next to them and the other Horned Serpent students, of which there are around 25 in total. 

Alec draws his gaze upwards when he hears a confident, “okay freshies eyes up here darlings”. Alec eyes go wide. It was the beautiful man that Alec had locked eyes with before the sorting. Alec couldn’t believe his luck; he looked even more beautiful up close. Alec could see that he was wearing a lot of silver jewellery and had blue nail polish on. As Alec rakes his eyes over the guy, he locks eyes with him once again. The guy smirks at him before he addresses the group. 

“I’m Magnus Bane and I am the Horned Serpent senior representative. It’s the best house by far and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise; we have won the academic house cup for the past 5 years and the quidditch cup for the last two. Although the Thunderbirds love to brag about their previously unrivalled ten year winning streak, strategy will always win out over recklessness, which is evident by our kicking their asses the past two years” he says with a wink, eliciting a laugh from the group. 

“Jokes aside, I’m the one to talk to if you have any questions about Ilvermorny. My door is always open. Figuratively. Unless I’m asleep. Or studying. Or doing…other activities. But it’s mainly open so don’t hesitate to ask me anything you want to know. Just please knock first” Magnus pleads, the students all smile and nod in agreement. Magnus seemed like a nice guy, if a bit sassy. 

“Okay follow me freshies, your new oasis awaits you” Magnus says as he raises his arms up dramatically and heads down a hall to their right. Magnus has a swagger to rival even Jace’s and Alec does not watch his hips sway as he leads the group. Nope, not at all.


End file.
